Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 72, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 December 1909 — GREAT ICE HARVEST NOW ON [ARTICLE]

GREAT ICE HARVEST NOW ON

Finest Crop of Congealed Aqua for Years Is Being Gathered. . “Cooney, the Ice man,” has been very busy for the past few days, and has had 16 teams and 68 men, employed in harvesting the finest ice crop ever put up in Rensselaer. He commenced work Friday, with about an 7-inch crop, but the continued zero weather had increased this Monday to eleven inches, and the finest, cleanest and purest ice ever put up in the city.. Mr. Kellner has a pond near the southeast part of town, on the south side of the river, near the Padgett bridge, especially prepared over a year ago for this purpose. It is filled by pumping water into it from wells, and no purer ice Is harvested anywhere in / the Btate than this. Last year he got nothing from it, there being no ice weather, but this year the crop is simply grand. All day Sunday the army of men and teams worked, and by to-night he will have his ice-houses practically filled, although a few men and two or three teams will be kept at work for a few days yet. He expects the total crop to fill his houses to their capacity will reach 1,800 tons, and the daily expense of the harvest has been between $l5O and S2OO, all of which is being paid to citizens of Rensselaer.